"Jesus said to his disciples: 'I tell you, unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter into the Kingdom of heaven.'" -Matthew 5:20
What must we do to enter the Kingdom of Heaven? In high school, I thought I was doing "just enough" to be considered a good Catholic. I was going to Mass every Sunday, I attended youth group nights and retreats, and I was considered a good kid. Meanwhile, my grades suffered at school, I disobeyed my parents, and fought with my siblings. I didn't commit murder, or lie under oath, and I was pretty open about my Catholic faith. Yet, I was spiritually empty. I did not strive to avoid sin and therefore I was empty of Jesus. I behaved like the scribes and the pharisees.
In today's Gospel reading, Jesus explicitly warns us about this disposition. He calls us to not just follow the letter of the law, but the spirit of it. Through our faith, He calls us to a deeper conversion of heart. This conversion of heart models us more closely to that of Christ's most Sacred Heart and it is through this conversion that we can come to a deeper encounter with Christ himself. So, let our righteousness surpass that of the Pharisees, and of our own shallow standards, and let us encounter Christ by striving to meet His standards.
Do our standards of holiness match those of Christ? How can we improve to meet them?
O Merciful Christ, forgive us our shortcomings, help us strive for holiness, and come to meet us as we do all we can to meet You.
Reflection by:
Spencer Grant
Did you know...
Spencer Grant is currently in his first year of seminary at St. John Vianney College Seminary as a junior. Born and raised in Tampa, his family joined the Catholic Church when he was eleven years old and have been parishioners at St. Timothy in Lutz since then. He enjoys his time on the golf course and is an avid Bucs, Lightning and Rays fan.
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